Power-transmitting device



May 20, 1.930. L

J. woLKoFF POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE Filed. Nov. 50,l 1927 hun:

3 Sheets-Sheet l n ill m INVENTOR.

Maly- 20, 1930. v J. woLKoFF v i I 1,759,335

Y POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE Fied Nov; 3o, 1927 s sheets-sheet 2 TTOHNEYS 'May 20, E930. WQLKQFF L75935 POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE Filed Nav. 5o, 19H27 5 sheets-sheet 3 if@ 7 f4 I ,New

Patented May 20, l1930 UNITED :sTArEsgPA-TENT oFFlcr;c

JoHN wonxorr, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY PowEB-TBANSMITTING nEv'rcE f i ylipplwaexpn nie-a November ao, i927. serial N6. 236,620.

My invention relates to power transmitting devices and particularl to speed changing mechanism which may evntilized'm motor vehicles.

An object of myl invention is to provide a "power transmitting device which is capable of transmitting power at various speeds and which includes mechanism foinselectmg the speed. at which the ower is transmitted.

Another object o my invention is` to provide a power transmitting device which includes a plurality of members operable at diiierent speeds and clutching mechanism for selectively taking power from one of the members andv transmitting it to a driven member,.a furtherobj'eet being to provide a fixed member which may-be engaged by the same clutching mechanism.

Another object ofmy invention is to in- 20 clude Ain a speed-changing device having clutching mechanism, a movable member for controlling the .clutch and for electing in addition a braking action.Y

Another object of my invention is to rovide a power transmission unit capable o se? lectively transmitting power at different speeds and including a' braking mechanism which maybe set and a manually operated braking mechanism. .h Another 'object of my invention is to provide a .power `transmitting device including parts loperable at diiferent speeds and a clutching deviceffor connecting said parts with a finally' driven member, the clutching device being sov constructed that any tendency to slip will result in a firmer clutching action. Another object-of my invention'is to provide al power transmitting device including l .parts driven vat different-speeds by a driving member togetherwith means for connecting any one 'of such parts with a driven member and means for discontinuin'gthe operationl of4 some of 4the'driven"'parts at "au time when the driven memberfisconnected to certain' other driven parts.

" Other and further'objects and" advantages of my invention will -appear 'rom the following description taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of the specifi- Fig. l2 is a sectional view/.on the line 2-2 l 0f. Fig 1- j Fig.- 3fis. a sectional-view on the line 3-'3 60 'of.F ig. 1.., Y F-g. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4' -of Fig. i

Fig. 5 1s a detailed viewof a gear carrying l Shift l le5 Fig. J6 'is a partial sectional view on the -line 6-'-6 of Fig. 4. l

Fig. i is a detailed view of the clutching members. f -I g In the articular embodiment of my inthe objects of my invention there is provide d I l .a casing 1 into which exteds a'drivlng shaft- 2 supported at bearing 3 at one end of the casing and by partitionn 10( s, hereinafter described'and having a recess 4 withinits end into which fits a projection 4: o n the end of the finally driven shaft 5 which is in turn supported at bearing 6 at the other end of the casin There is also mounted within the casing a ]ack shaft 9 which is supported by a bearing in the Casin and another bearing in the partition 10. T 's shaft is squaredand carriesupon it the gears 8,11, 12 and 13.` Any ofthese gears, suchl as the gear 13, may be formed integral with the shaft. Mounted upon the driving shaft 2 are concentric sleeves or hol1ow\shafts 18,U 19, 20 and 21, the shaft. or sleeve 18 carryingthe gear 14 which meshes withthe gear 11; the'shaft 19 carrying the gear 15 which meshes with the gear- 12 and the shaft 20 carrying th'e' gear 17` vwhich meshes with the gear 16 (see Fig. 3) which is in turn driven by thegear 13in or'derto obtain areverse direction o f driving.. The shaft 21 is keyed within the'partition A10 and assists in supporting the other hollow shafts as .well

as thedrivin is-pressed, by means of the spring 71, the gear `7 which is mounted for -rotation upon the shaft 2. Pressed against the other side of the collar 70 Aby means of the spring 7 3 is colg Y et has a,- plurality openings 24 are clampin extend longitudinally o engaging lar- 72. The collar 72 and the gear 7 have faces formed'with teeth 7 5. The co1lar'7 2 is splined upon the shaft 2so that Wh'en the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 1 the` driving shaft transmits motion through the gears 7 and 8 to the jack shaft 9k so that the shafts 18, 19 vand y20 are driven at 4different speeds by reason ofthe proportions and the relative dimensions of the gears 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16 andv 17.

Mounted directly upon thesh'aft 2 is thel disk 2 which will moveat theggsame speed as shaft 2. Mounted uponvthe shaft .18 is @the disk 14 which will move at the same speed as gear 14. Mounted upon the shaft 19 is the disk 15 which will move at the same speed as the gear'15. Mountedupon the shaft 20 l is the disk v17 which will have the same speed land direction of rotation as the gear 17.

These kdisks are shown for convenience `as bein in contact with one another but while this form maybe preferred, the particular',

and have end-'portions towards the axis of These-ends carry pins 28 -on each side thereof.. Splined upon driven shaft 5 is a sleeve 29. upon which is keyed the clutch operating plate 301(see Fig. 2). The

plate'30 1s provided with a plurality of opena braking lngs 3 1. urrounding openings 31 are extensions 32. The sides o extensions 32 are provided with slots 33 which are mclmed towards' theaxis ofthe power shafts and, lwhich carry within them the pins28 of the clam ing members 26. The members 26 fit close y between the sides of the extensions 32. It will thus be seen that the clamping `members 26 are supported at one end in the plate 23'and at the other end in the plate 30 i. and` that an axial movement of the plate 30 will cause the inwardlyinclined lslots 33 to act u n tlie lpirs 28 and spread or contract radia ly vthe c amping members 26 -at one end thereof. Fixed within the casing is the brake ring 34 against -which the plate 30 may be manually'- rought into contact so as to effect v action on the driven shaft 5. In order to increase the braking eiect the rings 25. Closely fitting within these 35 may be mounted on longitudinal ribs 85 on the interior of the casing 1 and the rings 36 fitting between the rings 35 may be carried upon a ring 30 and slide on ribsl86 thereon; Surrounding the driven shaft 5,

and sleeve 29 is the clutch spring 37 normally tending'to move the clutch operating plate 30 to the left in Fig. 1 so that thepins 28 willoccupy the position shown in the slots 33 and the clamping members 26 will be normally pressed inwardly. A yoke groove 38 is provided on'the sleeve 29 to accommodate a yoke (not shown) for operating the clutch actuating plate 30.

Positioned between plates 23 and 3() is a ring40 prvided with a grooved collar 41 which may be acted upon by an arm 77 to move the ring 40 axially. Supported inside of the ring 40 upon ball bearings is a clutch carrying ring 42 (see Fig. 4). Extending outwardly 'from' the@ central opening in the 1plate 42 through which the driven members pass are radial openings which accommodate clutching members. The clutching shoes 44 occupy the innermost ends of the radial openings and are held in position by links 45 upon which' act, springs 46 which are positioned in recesses within plate 42, and which l tend to move the clutch shoes radiallyoutward. Contacting with the outer surfaceof the clutch shoes are pressure 4members 47 which are engaged by the clampingmembers 26. It will no'w be apparent that the speed disks 2'., 14', 15' and 17 are driven at different speeds from the driving shaft 2 through the gears 7 and 8 and 11 to 17 The clutch operating plate 30 is moved to the rightin Fig. 1 and the inwardly inclined slots 33 carried by the plate will act upon ins 28 and spread the clamping members 26 so that the springs 46. can withdraw the clutch shoes from any given disk. By means of the grooved ring 41, the clutch bearing plate 42 may be moved so that the clutch xshoes will occupy a position radially outwardly from any of the disks 2', 14', 15', 17 and' 21', or radially opposite the neutral groove 50. Then when the clutch operating plate 30 is released the clutch shoes will engage the disk which they are radially opposite and the desired' speed will be transmitted through the clamping arms 26 to the l clutch operating plate 30 and thence to the driven sha-ft 5. -If the clutch shoes engage the disk 2', the driving is direct. If the clutch shoes engage the fixed brake disk 21' the driven memberf will be held against motion while'thedriving shaft is idle or in rotation. If the brake shoes 40j are positioned in the neutral groove; the driving shaft may be moved but no movement will be transmitted to the driven shaft 5. A manual braking effect is given to the driven shaft lby movement of the clutch operating plate 30 to the 4right until the exea flag 34.15 engaged,

as above described.

In order that the clutch device including the disks 23, 42, and 30, together with the parts carried thereby, and the clamping members 26 may be made effective to lirmly grasp any vof the speed disks or the braking disks 21, each disk is made with a groove 51 on one side which is helically vinclinedg so asY to provide'in effect a left hand thread and a groove 52 on the other sideA which is heli-V cally inclined to provide in eect, aright hand thread (see Fig. 5). ln addition, each brake shoe has its contacting surface provided with a ridge 53 which lits into the groove 5.1 or 52. Then the upper face of each clutch shoe is inclined at 54 and' the lower face of each member 47 is similarly inclined at 55. rllhe operation of these details is as follows: If the clutch shoes do not firmly grip any of the disks 2, 14 etc. there willbe a -rotation of the disk relatively to the clutch shoes engaging it and the threads upon the speed disks will cause a movementA of the clutch shoesaxially to the right or to the left according to which .thread is engaged by the particular shoes. This movement causes a wedging action between the inclined surfaces 54 and 55 with the result that the clutch shoes will be more tightly wedged against the speed disks. The clutch shoes are equiv. distantly spaced around the clutch-carrying disk 42 and alternate shoes have their outer surfaces respectively inclined. infopposite directions so that no matter whether the clutch shoes engage a right hand thread or left hand thread of the speed disk there will surely be a l wedging action produced by at least onehalf of the shoes moved axially, if there is any axial movement of the clutch shoes due to a relative movement between them and the disk 'engaged by them. The clutch shoes are of slightly less width than the thickness oilv the plate 42 so as to permit the axial move-i ment above described.

In order to shift the clutch disk 42 a rod 76 .l may be mounted to` slide longitudinally in the casing and an arm 77 may be lsecured'to the rod 76 and positioned within the groove in the'collar 41.

Now it will be apparent that when the clutch shoes 44 engage the disk 2 at which f time the driven member will be driven direct-A i ly or at the same speed as the driving member and when the'clutch shoes `engage the fixedl disk 21 there will be no necessity of driving the various speed disks 14', 15 and 17. and

all the gear sets which operate them and therefore, I provide means for discontinuing the operation ofthe unnecessary speed disks. To this end, I provide onthe hub of the gear 7 an extension 78 and upon the collar 72 an extension 79 and positioned between these two extensions, 78 and 79, an arm 80 carried by a rod 81 lslidably mounted in the casing.

Upon the rod 76 I place collars 82 and 83 vand I upon the shaft 8l there is an arm 84 which has a portion surrounding the rod 76 between are so positioned that when the rod 76 is respectively moved to position to bring the ythe collars 82 and 83. The collars 82 and 83 j clutch member overthe fixed disk and over the high speed disk the varm 80 will press against the extension 78 or 79 pressing back either the gear 7 against its spring 71 or the clutch collar` 72 againstits spring 73 and disengage the teeth so that the gear`7 is dis: connected from theshaft'2 and the gearing will no longer .be drieen and the operationof the speed disks will be discontinued. lt will v be apparent that the collar 70 on the shaft 2 limits the motion of the collar 72 and the gear 7 under `the actionof their respective springs so that either the gear 7 or the collar 72 may be pressed back to disconnect the teeth 75. f

While ll have described speciiic means for rotating thespeedvdisks at various speeds and have given a detailed description of one ponstruction of a clutching device, it is understood that l am not limited by these details member and a clutching device including a clutch having a radially movable part vfor engaging said driving parts, a longitudinal member lixed radially at one end and movable radially at its` other `dnd and 'engaging Said radially moving clutch part and an axially movable part connected to said driven member for moving radially said other end of said longitudinal member. Y l Y 2. In a speed change device, a drivin member, al drivenmember, a 'plurality o parts driven at different speeds by y said driving member, and a clutching device including a clutch having a radially movable part for engagingsaid driven parts,`a longitudinal member fixed radially at one end and movable radially atits'other end andengaging said ra.- dially ,movingclutchpart, an axially movable part connected to said driven member for moving radially said other end of said longitudinal lmember and means for moving said radially movable clutch part longitudi- I 'ing member, a driven member, ajplurality of disks 4driven at diferent speeds by S'i'd driv ing member and having an inclined surface on the periphery thereof, a clutch shoe adjustable to engage-,any one of said disks, a member engaging saidshoe, said shoe and member having inclined engaging surfaces whereby relative movement between said disk and shoe produces a wedging action and means'conf nected to sald driven member for pressing sald shoe against sa1d disk and transmltting power from said disk to said driven member.

4. In a power'tran'smitting device, a driv-V ing member, a driven member, a plurality of parts driven. at different speeds by said driving member, two rotatable elements, aplate connected to said driven member, a member having one end supported in one of saidf elements and engaging said plate and clutchingmeans carried by the other of said elements and engagedby said last named member, said last mentioned element being movable 'to po' sition said clutching means relatively to said driven parts. y

5. In a power transmitting device,la driving member, a driven member, a plurality of parts driven atdi'iferent speeds by said drivV ing member, two rotatable elements, a plate connected to said driven member, a member having one end supported in one of said elements and engaging said plate, one of the engaging surfaces being inclined, and'clu'tchingmeaiis carried by the other of said ele- `ments and engaged by said last named member, said last mentioned element being Inovable to position said clutching means relatively to said drivenparts, and said plate being movable to cause said inclined surface vto move said last named member relatively to said Vclutching means. In testimony whereof, I have signed my -name toithis specication.,

lJOHN woLK'oirr.l 

